This invention relates to new hair fixative compositions and to improved methods of providing curl retention to hair in which there is employed as the film forming ingredient certain organosilicon resins which are nonpolar silsesquioxanes.
Fixatives are designed to provide a temporary setting effect or curl to the hair, and while the most common fixative is a hair spray which is designed to be applied to the hair after the hair has been blow dried, several specialty type fixatives can be applied either after the hair is towel dried or to dry hair, in order to provide more body and volume to the hair, and to aid in styling, modeling, and sculpting of the hair into unique new looks. This is followed by application of a hair spray in the form of an aerosol or pump spray to maintain the shape and style of the hair and provide gloss and sheen to the hair, in addition to a well groomed and natural appearance. Such specialty type fixatives are marketed under various names including styling gels, styling cremes, styling mousses, styling foams, styling sprays, styling spritz, styling mists, styling glazes, styling fixes; sculpting lotions, sculpting gels, sculpting glazes, sculpting sprays; glossing gels, glossing spritz; shaping gels; forming mousses; modeling spritz; finishing spritz; fixing gels; and setting lotions.
Whether the fixative is the more common hair spray or a specialty type fixative, it will typically include a film forming additive as the hair holding agent. The film forming additive should provide hair holding properties and curl retention, little flaking or powder on combing, rapid curing or drying on hair, nonstickiness, and be easily removable by shampooing. Film forming additives are delivered by a solvent which is usually an alcohol such as ethanol or a mixture of an alcohol and water. In the case of aerosol formulations such as hairsprays and mousses, a propellant such as isobutane, butane, propane or dimethyl ether is an added part of the delivery system.
Examples of currently used film forming agents are shellac, polyvinylpyrrolidone-ethyl methacrylate-methacrylic acid terpolymer, vinyl acetate-crotonic acid copolymer, vinyl acetate-crotonic acid-vinyl neodeconate terpolymer, poly(vinylpyrrolidone-ethylmethacrylate) methacrylic acid copolymer, vinyl methyl ether-maleic anhydride copolymer, octylacrylamide-acrylate-butylaminoethyl-methacrylate copolymer, and poly(vinylpyrrolidone-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) copolymer and derivatives. These particular polymers are most suitable for alcohol based formulations such as hair sprays and pumps, and are sometimes used in water-based hair fixative products.
Such resins typically contain carboxyl groups which must be neutralized to some degree to provide compatibility with water to facilitate removal by shampooing and to increase the flexibility of the film. The neutralization of the carboxyl groups can lead to relatively high solution viscosities. Furthermore, the high molecular weight of the better holding resins produces solutions which are high in viscosity. When loading is attempted above a level of six to seven percent by weight of the formulation, the high viscosity prevents the solution from breaking up into droplets, and a stream rather than a spray is produced. Although higher solids solutions of these resins are deliverable from containers which have a small orifice, these valves are more prone to clogging. Thus, loading of these resins above a certain solids level is not practical. In addition these organic resins have poor hold when subjected to high humidity for long periods of time.
Thus, a need exists for a fixative resin which is water compatible without neutralization, provides high humidity resistance, is compatible with hydrocarbon propellants and is capable of being formulated into high solids products.
In accordance with the present invention, a new hair fixative formulation is provided which includes an organosilicon film forming material. Specifically, the organosilicon film forming material is a silicon resin, and more particularly a nonpolar silsesquioxane. Silsesquioxanes are not new. For example, collodial suspensions of silsesquioxanes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,780, issued Mar. 18, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,424, issued Feb. 3, 1970; and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,297, issued Jan. 3, 1984. However, these patents relate to the use of silsesquioxanes for the treatment of fabrics to render them resistant to soiling and as fillers in latexes; the treatment of fabric or carpeting in order to impart antislip, dulling, and dry-soiling resistance to the materials; and as release agents. Thus, there is no suggestion in these patents that a silsesquioxane would have utility as a film forming ingredient in a hair fixative formulation. While U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,499, issued Feb. 20, 1990, relates to the use of silicone resins in hair care compositions, the '499 patent does not teach the particular silicone resins of the present invention which are nonpolar silsesquioxanes.
The '499 patent is also specifically directed to compositions which provide improved style retention and hair conditioning properties. To that end, conditioning moieties such as dialkylsiloxane are prominent. It is known that conditioning can adversely affect holding properties in fixative formulations. Therefore, the dialkylsiloxane moieties are eliminated or reduced in the present invention. Thus, this invention employs silsesquioxane resins for set retention with improved hair-holding properties.
Silicones have two inherent properties particularly advantageous in hair holding applications. Certain silicone materials form films which are hydrophobic and produce solutions of low viscosity. The nonpolar silsesquioxanes of the present invention have been found to provide higher humidity resistance than organic film forming materials at lower add-on levels. In contract to the organic resins, their solution viscosity is low, even at high loading. This characteristic provides resins which can be formulated at higher solids levels than permitted by current formulations.
An unexpected benefit derived from low solution viscosity is the improved spray patterns that the materials of the present invention exhibit when delivered through an orifice of industry standard size. Even at solids levels as high as 15 percent by weight, the silsesquioxane solutions yield well-dispersed spray patterns. Unlike the organic film formers, the silsesquioxanes do not require neutralization to provide water compatibility. Additionally, the materials of the present invention permit variations in hold from harsh to soft hold through structure modifications. This is in contrast again to the organic polymers which are harsh holding when minimally neutralized and can only provide soft hold through neutralization, which in turn, compromises high humidity resistance. Furthermore, the silsesquioxanes offer additional advantages including compatibility with ethanol and hydrocarbon propellants, good sheen, low buildup, nontacky, nonirritability, and reduced flaking.